Fall River Housing Authority still waiting on Sullivan to approve executive director contract

The Fall River Housing Authority contract for newly hired executive director state Rep. David Sullivan remains in limbo, leaving the board to officially put the second-ranking person in charge as head of the agency with a $100 a day stipend increase.

The Fall River Housing Authority contract for newly hired executive director state Rep. David Sullivan remains in limbo, leaving the board to officially put the second-ranking person in charge as head of the agency with a $100 daily stipend increase.

It has been proposed that Daniel McDonald, the deputy executive director, assume the authority’s top duties as interim, retroactive to Feb. 1. On Jan. 31, Thomas Collins Jr. retired after eight years at the job and about 30 years with housing agencies.

The Housing Authority is set to meet today at 5 p.m. at the 85 Morgan St. Fall River Housing Authority headquarters.

The pay raise for McDonald as interim director and discussion on an update on contract negotiations with Sullivan are also listed as items to be discussed during the regular meeting agenda.

It’s been nearly a month since the board’s last meeting, when with a 3-1 vote, the five-member authority voted to appoint Sullivan with a $115,000 salary, pending completion of contract negotiations. Vice Chairwoman Mary Sahady was absent.

With virtually all of the job benefits Collins received unchanged from when he was hired, it appears the long delay in negotiating Sullivan’s contract to present to the board hinges on the contract’s duration.

The state Department of Housing and Community Development reported that, as a new housing director, Sullivan would have one year to complete certification requirements and could be offered a one-year contract only.

Just one of the four finalists for FRHA executive director had housing authority experience: Peter Proulx, the facilities management director, who was an executive director at two prior jobs.

Sullivan has not responded to several phone calls for comment over the past two weeks, and Leonard Aguiar, FRHA chairman, would offer no insight into issues or problems negotiating a contract with Sullivan.

He did say Sullivan, who reportedly will resign his seat representing parts of Fall River and Freetown when he signs the contract, was given a contract proposal Thursday by the board after its legal counsel, Kopelman and Paige in Boston, completed it.

“He’s reviewing it, and I asked him to get back to us with any concerns,” Aguiar said.

“I have not had a conversation with Dave Sullivan at all,” said Sahady, who said she’s given input on the contract, along with other authority members.

Aguiar, who said he has spoken with Sullivan, said he would not say if the one-year DHCD provision was the sticking point since the salary had already been determined.

“I’m not commenting on anything,” Aguiar said to that question.

In the appointment process for which Sullivan’s appointment had long been rumored — with one person close to the situation calling it “the worst-kept secret” in the city months ago — Aguiar would only say this: “It’s frustrating for us as well because we wanted to have it wrapped up as quickly as possible,” he said.

Page 2 of 2 - Three well-known politicians from the North End have declared their interest in Sullivan’s soon-to-be-vacated 6th Bristol County District seat: Fall River City Council Vice President Brad Kilby, City Councilor David Dennis and former Governor’s Councilor Carole Fiola.